The Brain Surgeon
The Brain Surgeon'Joseph Quinn and Vince Masuka, Episode 802: Every Silver Lining. In addition to news sites prior to the season's release. is a 'Character appearing in Season Eight of DEXTER. This individual is a Serial Killer who recently appeared in Miami, claiming the life of at least three victims and is suggested to have claimed more. Dr. Evelyn Vogel, an expert neuropsychiatrist, assists Miami Metro Homicide 'in attempting to identify the killer. She informs [[Dexter Morgan|'Dexter Morgan]] that there is a possibility that the killer is one of her former patients. This theory is further proven when the killer repeatedly leaves his trademark excised brain-matter on her doorstep, wrapped in butcher's paper, however it is then revealed later on in the season that the killer is Evelyn Vogel's own son',' Oliver Saxon, who seeks an odd connection with his mother. Officially, he is the Main Antagonist 'for 'Season Eight '''and one of the '''Final Antagonists '''of the ''DEXTER television series. Compared to previous Main Antagonists, he is one of the most intelligent, rivaling that of The Ice Truck Killer (Brian Moser), and is on the par with the series protagonist Dexter Morgan. Personality Currently unknown, however Vogel suggests that the killer is an intelligent yet egotistical man who takes great pride in his work (even so much as to take joy in the police conversing about him). The killer is identified as a psychopath and referred to as a serial killer, though anything outside of the profiling is uncertain. Thus far the kills have been well planned and untraceable, including the use of weather to reduce visibility. The Brain Surgeon appears to keep his victims in captivity, with at least one being forced into an enclosed space for a lengthy period of time (at least 5 days), inferred from the victim's apparent lack of nutrition. The killer has been shown to keep more than one victim hostage, such as when he coerced Lyle Sussman to kill Welks, 'though the two different manners of murder belie what the show has demonstrated about serial killers. We have seen times when Dexter killed people in non-ritual fashions (usually in emergency, life-or-death situations), but he never posed his improvised-kills for ritualistic or non-utilitarian purposes. The hanging from the meat hook seemed symbolic, yet was pointedly not the Brain Surgeon's standard modus operandi. He is also shown to have a pattern in his kills, always removing the same distinct piece of the brain (Anterior insular cortex) during every kill. This could simply indicate that he put a lot of thought into it (Since the portion that he extracts produces empathy), or it could be a personalized message to Dr. [[Evelyn Vogel|'Evelyn Vogel]], possibly conflicting her theory about pschycopaths' lack of emotion. Plot The First Kill Dexter Morgan is called into a scene where the body of a man was found outside a body of water. Appearing to have been simply shot and dumped here, Dexter identifies the man as Robert Bailey, a mechanic. Upon further investigating the body, he lifts up the head to reveal that the back of the skull has been cut open, and separates from the remainder of Bailey's head. Dexter lifts up the back of the skull, examining that a portion of the brain appears to have been scooped out. Back at the Miami Metro Police Department, Deputy-Chief Thomas Matthews debriefs detectives involved in the case and brings in a consultant named Dr. Evelyn Vogel, an expert neuropsychiatrist whom Matthews had worked with before and who just happened to be in Miami, to aide in their investigation. She talks about how the killer carefully extracted a specific portion of the brain, the '''''anterior insular cortex to be exact. Explaining that this part of the brain processes empathy, she finds it ironic that the very hallmark of a psychopath is that they have no empathy. Vogel goes on to state that it may be a coincidence, but if someone were to go to this much trouble in removing a particular core of the brain they must have put deep thought into the process. She also hypothesizes that it was either an experiment or a message, which wouldn't be the first time a killer has used a victim to communicate. Details of the way Bailey was killed are revealed via the medical examiner's report, stating that he was first shot and that the surgical removal of the insular cortex was done postmortem. The victim was kept in captivity in an enclosed space, with no contents present in his stomach showing dehydration. She elaborates that this is likely not his first kill, specifically when details of the victim are revealed, suggesting that he was kept in captivity for at least 5 days. Such a carefully thought out ritual prior to the killing suggests that the killer has in fact claimed lives before, and will most likely strike again. Welks and Sussman Evelyn Vogel approaches Dexter, informing him about her knowledge (and involvement) in regards to his past. Knowing exactly who he is, she introduces him to some videotapes of Harry's sessions and ultimately steers the conversation towards a favor she needs. She pulls from the cupboard a jar, containing a piece of brain matter (the very same brain matter from Robert Bailey), and tells him that this was left on her door step. Her concern is that it's a warning, practically a threat on her life...by one of her former patients. Uncertain of who it is, she asks Dexter to aide her regardless (though he assures her that he does not take "requests"). Elsewhere, a tiled room is shown with a man named Leonard Welks strapped to a body-shaped table with medical supplies kept in nearby cabinets, with the song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" (by Mama Cass Elliot) playing in the background. Another man by the name of Lyle Sussman approaches Welks, who can't speak with duct tape over his mouth. Sussman apologizes to the man, stating that he doesn't deserve this but he has to...without a choice. Sussman then pulls a plastic bag over Welks' face and suffocates him. The following day the body is left out at a skatepark where Dexter arrives and moves the head, revealing the same separation of the skull where a piece of the brain has been scooped out. Observations on the corpse reveal asphyxiation and they figure since the murder weapon was left at the last crime scene, then it may be here as well. Certainly enough the plastic bag used to kill Welks is tied to a banister, where they can check for prints. Dexter returns to the lab, discovering a print belonging to a Lyle Sussman. Vogel, who had been concerned it was one of her former patients, proclaims that she does not recognize the man and has never heard of him. This gives her some relief, allowing Dexter to continue his investigation further where he finds the empty house belonging to Sussman. He finds that he's a very neat person, much like Dexter himself and a big game hunter out in the wilderness. He discovers a photo, with signs featuring the name of a lake and inclines to further investigate the area. When Dexter does finally arrive at the cabin, he finds that it's filled with quite the selection of knives and other hunting equipment, including an obscure metal chair that looks to be capable of keeping someone strapped down. Before he can look further, he hears a thumping noise outside and heads out through the back door onto the patio...where he discovers Sussman hanging by a hook. Returning to tell Vogel this news, he suggests that maybe he had an accomplice who killed him. Vogel states that it's highly unlikely and in this situation, she's certain the killer does everything alone. After a lengthy talk, Dexter leaves and as some time passes, Vogel calls him up to tell him that someone has been in her house. Concerned for her life, she waits for Dexter to arrive who investigates the house and finds no one. However, a DVD was left on Vogel's desk...when played, it was revealed that Sussman was forced to kill Welks before being shot himself in the back of the head by a mysterious man wearing blue gloves. Suspicion of Galuzzo When the police come to investigate the scene, Dexter realizes that the body has been relocated and enters his house, only to find Sussman on the ground with a huge gunshot wound in the back of his head. As the police rule it a suicide, Dexter knows that the true killer had restaged the scene to avoid anymore attention from the police. Elsewhere, Vogel gets a mysterious text telling her to look outside. Vogel opens the door and finds two more brain pieces put into tiny boxes, saying "his" and "hers" on them. Knowing that these glands are responsible for vision, Dexter states that the killer must be aware of them both now. As Dexter investigates deeper into Vogel's former patients, he suspects [[Ron Galuzzo|'Ron Galuzzo']], a man who killed his friend at a young age and convinced Vogel that it was the school bully. Dexter goes to the mall where he works, and Galuzzo seems to be very friendly and sociable. Dexter then brings up one of Vogel's books on Pschycopaths and asks if he's heard of the author. Galuzzo says no and Dexter is convinced that he's lying. Inclined to find more evidence, Dexter breaks into his house and finds that the majority of the house is a mess, except for the kitchen. Dexter then notices some soup sitting out in a pot, and observes it, noticing a human finger mixed in with it. Dexter groans with disgust and then opens the fridge, only to reveal various organs and body parts, and upon finding a whole brain marinating in a cup of garlic, he realizes that Galuzzo is a different type of killer than The Brain Surgeon. Even so, Dexter later kidnapped and killed him in his own kitchen, but he also admitted that he and Galuzzo have similarities. Suspicion of Yates In the next episode, Vogel wonders if Dexter had any luck with the killer. Dexter says no, but informs her that he crossed out three more former patients, and now suspects [[A.J. Yates|'A.J. Yates']], a man who suffered a brain lesion in his youth and was beyond Vogel's help. When Dexter goes to spy on him, he notes that Yates has the signiature marking carved into the back of his skull, precisely where the killer cuts open his victims. Dexter goes to ask Vogel about what happened, Vogel responding that Yates had a lesion on his brain, and that the hospital had to conduct surgery to remove it, leaving the scar there permanently. When Dexter investigates his house, he finds women's shoes (apparently trophies) that Yates collects from the women he kills. Meanwhile, Yates sees Dexter enter his apartment through a surveillance system and attempts to taze him, though retreats when he hears Vogel talking on the phone. Yates slowly makes his way back to the basement, commenting on Vogel's "hero", and then watches Dexter leave. Later, Dexter returns to Yates' apartment, prepared to kill him, but finds that Yates has already seen him and escaped. Dexter continues to search his house, and upon finding bonesaws and specimen jars, he is convinced that Yates must be The Brain Surgeon. Dexter then hears something in a cupboard. He opens it, only to find one of the women that he identified earlier in the episode (An attempted victim of Yates), who has already been stabbed and left to exsanguinate. Dexter manages to transport her to the hospital before she bleeds out. Dexter then calls Vogel over to Yates's house. As Dexter searches his computer, he finds files on all of Vogel's patient records. He opens a file, only to reveal that Vogel was keeping notes on Dexter the whole time. Dexter then demands that she leave his life once Yates is dead. Elsewhere, Yates is hiding out in his van and receives a phone call from Dexter (who is pretending to be one of the nurses), and tells him that his father's life is on the line, and that he must get down to the nursing home quickly. Yates soon arrives and tries to speak to his dad, but Dexter reveals himself and closes the door. Yates is surprised to see Dexter, but before Dexter can inject him, Yates pulls the tube that enables his dad to breathe, triggering an alarm that alerts the nurses. Yates informs him that they'll be here any second, but Dexter is able to hide behind the door as the nurses enter, and Yates escapes. The Capture of Vogel Vogel is in her house, listening to music ("Make Your Own Kind of Music," interestingly), but Yates breaks into her house and threatens to kill her if she dosen't stop struggling. Debra goes to her house and finds that there is shattered glass all over the floor. Debra informs Dexter that someone must have taken her hostage. Dexter, knowing that this is Yates, regrets not killing him, and Debra wants to help him in saving her. They manage to find a list of houses that Yates has worked in in the past and they think that some of them could be vacant, which would be a perfect place to hold Vogel hostage. : Elsewhere, Yates sets Vogel down on a couch, where he questions her about the guy who broke into his house. Vogel responds that she had to send Dexter to protect herself, and then goes on to state that the reason he's mad is because of the surgery done to his brain. However, Yates dismisses that and puts a bag over her head to prevent her from speaking. Later, Vogel confirms that his violent behavior must've been caused by his abusive mother, but Yates disapproves of talking about her. He then pulls out a plier and threatens to sever her toes, but Vogel mimics the personality of Yates's mother and hits him in the jaw until he is bleeding. As Yates leaves the room to get a towel, Vogel puts her phone on speaker so that Dexter and Debra could hear the conversation. When Yates returns, Vogel apologizes for the injury and goes on to state that he is experiencing real human connection, which he never got to experience with his abusive mother. : Meanwhile, Dexter and Debra continue their search for Vogel and they end up asking [[Jacob Elway|'Elway']] to trace the mysterious number that Dexter recieved. Elway gives them the address and they head off to that house. Vogel continues to assure Yates that she can help him, but Yates soon discovers the phone, and feeling disrespected, continues to accuse Vogel of letting her friend know of his whereabouts. : Dexter and Debra arrive and hear footsteps upstairs. They manage to find Vogel tied up in a closet with duct tape over her mouth, but Yates is not present. Secretly, Yates is hiding under the bed and Dexter notices the blood stains without mentioning it to the others. He then grabs a curtain rod and smashes it through the bed, piercing Yates's chest. Finally believing that The Brain Surgeon is dead, Dexter disposes of the body and begins to bond with Vogel and Debra on his boat. However, Yates was not the Brain Surgeon. The Return : The Brain Surgeon makes a return in Episode 8 of this season, where he kills Zach Hamilton in the end, cuts open his brain and scoops out a piece of it (the anterior insular cortex), which he delivers to Dr. Vogel. He leaves Zach's corpse sitting on a chair in Dexter's apartment, with the song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" playing, as Dexter walks in. It is here that both Dexter and Vogel realize for the first time since Yates' demise, that the Brain Surgeon is still out there and still a critical threat. Resuming The Hunt Dexter and Vogel are at Zach's apartment pondering over what The Brain Surgeon's message could be. Dexter then looks under a table and discovers a hair, which Dexter thinks that Zach could have been instinctive enough to pull from his attacker. Vogel wonders what the message is, but Dexter is careless, and vows to eliminate The Brain Surgeon threat once and for all, so that he can concentrate on a life with Hannah McKay. Back in the lab, a DNA test reveals the hair to be a relative of Vogel's. Dexter goes to inform Vogel of this news, who claims that she did have two sons, although both of them perished many years ago. Vogel goes on to say that one of her sons, Daniel Vogel, killed his own brother by drowning him, which brought Vogel into her field of pschycopathy today. Vogel put Daniel in an instutition, where a fire took place, killing the majority of the children and apparently Daniel as well. Dexter beleives that Daniel could have caused the fire himself, and escaped by assuming the identity of one of the dead children. Vogel gives Dexter a picture of her son, which Dexter takes to do some facial tests on. After inserting the picture into the computer, Dexter does an age boost by 40 years on Daniel, revealing it to be Oliver Saxon, '''the former boyfriend of Cassie. Dexter goes to Saxon's apartment, but finds that Saxon has already fled due to suspicions from Debra and Quinn. Dexter then opens a nearby trash can and finds a soda can, which he can test to see if Oliver's DNA is on. At his house, Dexter tests the fingerprint, revealing it to be Saxon's again. Dexter proceeds to take this news to Vogel, who is somewhat appauled by her son's existence. Dexter says that he needs to track Oliver down and kill him, but Vogel disagrees, thinking that Oliver deserves a second chance. Dexter, however, has other plans, and since Oliver has been monitoring Vogel's computer for a while, Dexter tells her to put out a message on her computer, saying that she'll be at the King's Bay Cafe (which happened to be Daniel's favorite cafe during his childhood) tomorrow morning. The next morning, Dexter spikes Vogel's coffee with a sedative from Hannah, causing her to faint. With Vogel unable to prevent Saxon's death, Dexter goes to the cafe to spy on him. Saxon repeatedly plays the "Make Your Own Kind of Music" song on a jukebox, and eventually he leaves, apparently oblivious to Dexter's presence. However it's soon revealed that Saxon was aware, when Dexter finds his tires slashed, and Saxon escapes (possibly to Vogel's house). When Dexter does arrive at Vogel's house, she is dissapointed with Dexter's deception. Dexter apologizes, and then goes on to state that Saxon is nothing but a threat to her life. Vogel tells Dexter to leave the matter alone, and after what happened that morning, Dexter is not trustworthy anymore. As Dexter leaves, it is revealed that Saxon was hiding in Vogel's house, and they proceed to have breakfast together, with Saxon addressing Vogel as "mom". : Victims *Richard Vogel, Jr' *'Robert Bailey' *'Leonard Welks' (Proxy, through Sussman) *'Lyle Sussman ' *'Zach Hamilton' Appearances 'Season Eight' *A Beautiful Day (killing spree begins) *Every Silver Lining (concealed in shadow) *What's Eating Dexter Morgan? (killing spree only) *Are We There Yet (killing spree only) * Make Your Own Kind of Music (identity revealed) Notes The following is a compiled list of notes relating to the Brain Surgeon and suspects':' *The killer is speculated to be male, in his 30's with an egotistical personality finding pride in his killings. *The killer is strong enough to lift carry around bodies from location to location, dumping and pulling corpses from water and even hanging a corpse by their head with a hook at a cabin. Then, cutting the corpse down and restaging the scene as a suicide. This suggests that the killer is either a relatively fit male or at the very least, has an accomplice aiding in the movement of bodies. *The Brain Surgeon has killed at least 4 people':' **'Robert Bailey- first victim **Shot in the chest with a single bullet above the heart to cause death, muzzle of gun was placed against the skin suggesting pointblank range. Gun was found at the scene, left in the bushes. Despite the victim having been apparently shot and killed elsewhere. **There was postmortem removal of brain tissue from skull, slicing through the Parietal and occipital bone while removing the cranium. The tissue removed is the anterior insular cortex, used to process empathy and was apparently scooped out with a melon baller. **Body was dumped into a body of water (a river in a suburban neighborhood), but apparently removed by killer prior to discovery. He was found laid out on a cement landing a few yards from the water's edge, where forensics did not discover the back of his skull had been sawed into until his head was moved. The body itself could not have washed up on shore due to the distance between the corpse and water. In addition, the back of the skull may have been lost when washed up. ***The victim is a mechanic, with no further information on who they were. It is revealed from the M.E.'s report that he was kept in captivity, enclosed quarters for at least 5 days and suffered from dehydration. **Leonard Welks' - second victim ***Suffocated with a plastic bag, held by a man named 'Lyle Sussman. During the event, a song can be heard called Make Your Own Kind of Music. The room in which the man is killed resembles a dentist's office or doctor's office, containing an obscure support chair fashioned with restraints. Victim was restrained while another approached and suffocated him. ***The same postmortem removal of brain tissue as the previous victim. ***Body was dumped at a skatepark, laying on a flat landing. **Lyle Sussman' - third victim ***Shot in the back of the skull with a pistol, after being forced to kill 'Leonard Welks. Then had a hook forced through the back of his cranium as he was left hanging in his cabin. Found one more time later on with the back of his skull blown out with the use of a shotgun. ***Body was originally left hanging for '''Dexter Morgan to find in an obscure fashion, first leaving him to believe Sussman as The Brain Surgeon. Upon returning to the location later with police (as a forensics specialist called in), the body was then found inside of the cabin laying on the floor with the back of his skull blown out with use of a shotgun. The second scene was apparently established to remove police suspicion about the real killer, framing a man and closing the case. ***Unlike the previous victims, the occipital lobe is removed from the skull, prior to the shotgun blowing the remainder of his brain over the interior walls of the cabin. Split into two jars, both pieces are left in "His" and "Hers" boxes. **'Zach Hamilton' - fourth victim ***Unknown cause of death. Red marks around the neck suggesting potential strangulation, blood on the forehead could have resulted from blunt force trauma or a gunshot. Obscured from view, body disposed of before a full view was shown. ***The same procedure from the previous victims was conducted, however in this situation the back of the cranium was not present with the body (at least from what could be shown, the cranium may have landed on the floor). ***The body was left inside of Dexter's Apartment, propped back sitting in his chair as if relaxing. The head was left against the headrest, with an Ipod sitting in a dock playing "Make Your Own Kind of Music" set on the table. There have been multiple suspects as to who the Brain Surgeon is, in the series':' *'Lyle Sussman' - first suspect **After the death of Leonard Welks, the body is left in a skatepark with the murder weapon (a plastic bag used for suffocation) tied to a nearby railing. Dexter manages to secure a print from the bag, while Vince Masuka obtains a bloody print off of the duct tape used to gag the victim. **Both men run the print, though in separate operation. Dexter works with Vogel, discovering the print to belong to Lyle Sussman. Dexter follows up on Sussman, finding his house to be in a neat and tidy condition (similar to his own, even considers looking in the air conditioning unit where Dexter himself used to hide his blood slides...before deciding against it). After discovering a potential cabin, the cops arrive and do their own investigation of the house. **Dexter eventually tracks down Sussman, however he finds him dead inside his cabin hanging from a hook in the back of his skull. The next day, when he returns with police, the body is found on the floor with a hole blown out in the back of the skull by a shotgun. The death is ruled as a suicide and makes the police close the case of the Brain Surgeon. *However, Sussman was not the Brain Surgeon for several reasons':' ** First - Sussman was coerced into killing Welks, as a videotape reveals that he was forced to suffocate the man at gunpoint before being killed himself with a pointblank shot to the back of the skull. It's likely that the killer threatened Sussman's mother or otherwise. ** Second - Vogel did not recognize Sussman, where as the killer had previously mailed an anterior insular cortex fragment from Robert Bailey specifically to her, giftwrapped in butcher paper. This suggests a personal relationship, at least the two knew each other and Vogel/Sussman never met. Vogel also believed at the time that the killer was one of her former patients, again...Sussman having never met her. ** Third - There's not enough evidence to suggest he ever could have been The Brain Surgeon. No hint that he knew how to conduct Brain Surgery, no apparent connection to Vogel, and he was simply shown as a man who lived for hunting wildlife, not people. *Two unnamed men on Vogel's "list" of former patients. Dexter clears these men of any suspicion':' *'Ron Galuzzo' - second suspect **Galuzzo becomes the next patient on Dexter's list to investigate, learning that he strangled another boy in his youth and was subsequently put on trial for the crime. Vogel originally defended him, however reversed her decision and this led to Galuzzo being institutionalized until he turned 21. **Dexter meets with Galuzzo, arriving to the conclusion that he's certainly an odd individual, but doesn't seem to notice any particular reaction to him pulling out Vogel's book in casual conversation. He does however lie to not knowing who Vogel is, as she did treat him in his youth. **Dexter investigates Galuzzo's house, finding it to be a mess except for the kitchen, which is kept immaculate. He discovers human body parts and organs stored in the kitchen, including a brain which is marinating in some sort of sauce. Dexter realizes that he's not the Brain Surgeon and actually a cannibal, resulting in him later killing Galuzzo. *Like Sussman, Galuzzo was not the Brain Surgeon':' ** First - He's shown to be a cannibal, who wouldn't waste a delicacy such as a "brain" to send parts to Vogel. He eats human beings, doesn't leave them out in the open to spoil. ** Second - He doesn't appear to remember Vogel, though he does have a slight reaction when Dexter pulls out Vogel's book "Crave to Kill" during his exercise. There could be potential that he's lying but it's likely he moved on with his life. In addition, cannibalism was not apart of his original therapy with Vogel. This developed later in his life. ** Third -Tthough a former patient of Vogel, not enough evidence suggests he could have been a candidate. *'Arnold Gordon' and at least two others are cleared from the list. While Gordon was a Trauma surgeon with the "right skill set", Dexter determines he's not the killer as they move on further to "Chapter 7" - A.J. Yates. *'A.J. Yates' - third suspect **Dexter begins investigating Yates, following him to a house where he's working on people's cable and internet for his job. The files suggest he has a violent history, suffering a brain lesion (from his mother's beating) that contributes to his outbursts. Unknown to Vogel, brain surgery was conducted on Yates and a scar (similar to the removal of the cranium for previous Brain Surgeon victims) is shown on the back of his head. The surgery removed the lesion, something that Vogel had suggested but was uncertain the hospital would go through with it. **Dexter enters Yates' house, finding it to be moderately clean and discovers a shrine of 6 right female shoes. After lifting some prints, he contacts Vogel and during this time Yates is watching Dexter via his security camera equipment, situated entirely throughout the house. Dexter discovers that 3 prints belong to missing women, including the recent Janet Thorton and returns to Yates' house at night when he's away to investigate the building. He discovers an elaborate hidden room, with security monitors and brain surgery instruction manuals, as well as jars. Dexter is convinced that Yates is the Brain Surgeon and brings Vogel in (after discovering the wounded Thorton and rushing her to the hospital). They find out that patient files are stored on Yates' computer, thus further suggesting he is TBS. **Dexter tries to kill Yates by luring him to his sickly father, but is surprised when Yates uses his father as an escape route (pulling out the life support). His father is saved by nursing staff but later Yates finds and abducts Vogel, since he was aware of her involvement with this guy. Yates doesn't seem to know who Dexter is at all, despite the Sussman scene suggesting that the killer was at least aware of someone helping Vogel. Furthermore, their conversation together doesn't even hint at his knowledge of the previous three victims found and instead focuses on the women Yates has killed. Ultimately, Dexter finds Yates and kills him...disposing of his body along with the previous brain matter fragments. *Yates was not the Brain Surgeon, as revealed in Episode 808: Are We There Yet?. Until then, Dexter, Vogel and Debra Morgan were led to believe Yates was the Surgeon. In reality, just like Sussman, Yates was simply a patsy to throw them off his trail. ** First - The killer returns in Episode 808: Are We There Yet?, having left Zach Hamilton dead in Dexter's apartment, while Yates was killed three episodes prior. ** Second - Yates seemed to have no knowledge of the previous three male victims. The victims themselves were killed in a way far different than his regular M.O. with the female victims, which were killed out of response to his abusive mother and childhood. A fixation on breaking each individual toe and keeping the victims in captivity was tied to these victims. ** Third - Yates hints that he didn't even want anything to do with Vogel, stating "You should have just left me alone"..where as, the Brain Surgeon has been sending brain fragments, breaking into her house and leaving DVDs to toy with her. ** Fourth - The convenient placement of the instruction manuals, jars and surgery tools in addition to her patient files were all circumstantial. Easily planted. *A common theme with the Brain Surgeon is the song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Mama Cass Elliot. The song is played three times (thus far):' **While 'Lyle Sussman is forced to kill Leonard Welks. **Played by Evelyn Vogel inside her home prior to A.J. Yates breaking into her home to kidnap her. **Heard on an Ipod, situated next to Zach Hamilton's corpse. *The Brain Surgeon tends to leave mysterious crime scenes, as seen with the first three victims. As quoted by Joey Quinn - "Takes the body and the weapon, brings them all the way out here. Why?". It's uncertain why the killer left the bodies here, as of yet, and went through the extra trouble with the corpses. **The fourth body, that of Zach Hamilton, is left in Dexter's Apartment suggesting that for one: he's letting him know that The Brain Surgeon is still out there and two, he knows exactly who Dexter is now (as opposed to Dexter's previous worries, at the Sussman crime scene, stating "he doesn't know who I am"). It could also be interpreted as a sort of message';' Zach's death. *The Brain Surgeon goes through an extra amount of effort, first killing Lyle Sussman at an unknown location, bringing him all the way out of the cabin where he lifts the body and forces it to be shown hanging outside with a hook through the back of the skull. The killer then returns and changes the scene, making it appear like a suicide. **This is likely to toy with Dexter Morgan/Evelyn Vogel, who was aware of Dexter's existence. The rearranged scene was meant to throw off the police into thinking Sussman committed suicide and was the Brain Surgeon. **In addition, a DVD featuring Sussman killing Welks is left in Vogel's house by the killer, showing them that Sussman was an innocent man. **Following the discovery of Sussman's rearranged scene, two boxes are left at Vogel's doorstep. Marked "His" and "Hers", giftwrapped in red ribbon to black cardboard, she opens them up to discover the occipital lobe, responsible for vision. Dexter realizes this is a message to show that the killer is now watching both Dexter and Vogel. *The Brain Surgeon even desired to throw off Dexter and Vogel, using Yates as a patsy for their attempts to find him. **The killer leaves evidence like instruction manuals, jars (for holding brain fragments) and surgery tools in addition to patient files on Yates' computer all pointing to him as the killer. After they kill Yates, they believe this ruse completely and the Surgeon goes into hiding until his next victim three episodes later. Trivia *The Brain Surgeon is the fourth serial killer to not be immediately identified to the public, following the example of the Ice Truck Killer, The Skinner and The Phantom Arsonist. Trinity was immediately identified, though remained nameless until halfway through his season. *He is the Second Main Antagonist to play the cat/mouse game with Dexter (the first being The Ice Truck Killer). *He is the only antagonist to immediately fake his death, doing so in episode 3 by framing Lyle Sussman as The Brain Surgeon committing suicide, following the deaths of the other two men. This was to throw off the police, however Dexter and Vogel knew he was still alive (until they killed Yates, assuming he was TBS...this resolution ended when Zach Hamilton was found dead, left like the previous TBS victims). *He is the most suspenseful and mysterious killer on the series. Gallery BrainSurgeoningsomeone.png|Saxon cutting into someone's skull. TheBrainSurgeon2.png TBSscene1.png|Saxon in his kill room TheBrainSurgeon.png References Category:Serial killers Category:Main antagonists Category:Season 8 characters Category:Aliases Category:Murderers by proxy Category:Images needed Category:Killers not revealed immediately Category:Killers displaying their victims in public